Snooki's 'Jersey Shore' Return Has Fans Excited for the Rest of Season 4

When Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, known affectionately as simply Snooki, left Jersey Shore: Family Vacation, she left a meatball-sized hole in the cast. Even so, the show went on without her.

In the second part of Season 4, however, she makes her triumphant return to be with the rest of the cast as they celebrate big milestones in their lives, which begs the question: How long is Snooki back?

It could be said that Snooki is only back for a handful of episodes to be with her roommates, who are also her real-life friends now. But the allure of an MTV paycheck and the chance to have a free vacation might keep her around for just a bit longer. One thing that's for sure, however, is that Snooki's fans missed her dearly — so how long do we have her?

For some fans, Jersey Shore: Family Vacation just hasn't been the same since Snooki left. She was part of the glue that held the show together. And, even though it didn't necessarily crumble in her absence, the lack of her presence in the series was certainly felt.

Now that she's back, fans want to know how long she'll stay and how many episodes she plans to stick around for.

In a June 2021 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Snooki opened up about being asked back for a couple of events, which snowballed into more appearances — until she agreed to come back in what sounds like it could be a potentially more permanent way. To be fair, she didn't quite say those words, but it still gives fans hope about her future with the series.

"I just needed a break in general just because I feel like it got really heavy with the drama," she told the outlet. "But then the producers texted me and said, 'Listen, we're throwing a party for Mike for his sobriety' and I was like, 'I can't miss that,' and they were like, 'OK, the baby shower,' and giving me all of these events, I was like, 'All right, I have to come back. You give me no choice.'"

She added that she's willing to film for a few days at a time, but that she prefers to be able to have a substantial amount of time set aside for her kids. Snooki didn't say if she's back for the entire rest of Season 4 or if she's planning to pop in and out at will, but she did say she felt like she got what she needed in her break from the series.

Part of the reason why Snooki left Jersey Shore: Family Vacation in the first place was the wedding speech she and Jenni "JWoww" Farley and Deena Cortese gave at Angelina Pivarnick's wedding. You know the one. It was the speech in which the ladies called Angelina "the trash to our bags" and "the fly to our sh-t."

While Angelina didn't take issue with those lines, the guests at the wedding didn't take too kindly to a sort of dig at Staten Island, and from there, the boos started — and things got progressively worse. Snooki said at the wedding and on-camera that she didn't want to film anymore. And, when Season 4 premiered, she was absent.

Now, Snooki is back, and regardless of how long she's here, it has felt like a long time coming.

Watch Jersey Shore: Family Vacation on Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET on MTV.